May 2: Labour is no longer the party of the working man

I WONDER if Labour supporters have any notions of the blatant hypocrisy of this party?

True, the movement was originally formed to try to create a fairer society, narrowing the shocking gap between rich and poor, when greedy industrialists were living the life of luxury, while their workers were grafting all hours in dreadful conditions with less than pittance wages. Little children down the mines, in the mills and all that sort of thing.

However, they have proved to be utterly false towards their power, as the top brass of the party are living like the Victorian magnates that they originally detested, while the gulf between rich and poor grows ever wider. They are truly the advocates of a vast bureaucracy and taxation for hardworking people.

In a nutshell, they are simply not the party of the working man. Such an ideal is truly praiseworthy, but, alas, this is not Labour. Instead, they are the party of the man who does not need to work, and of the man who does not want to work. This must be obvious to anyone.

From: RE Pattinson, Colne Road, Barnoldswick, Lancashire.

IN 1997, the average house price was £60,000. In 2007, the same house would have cost £170,000.

Never in the history of houses has inflation been allowed to increase by this amount giving a total figure of £3bn of inflation which was then turned into expenditure.

By gaining credit at the banks, isn’t it any wonder we ran out of cash, leaving us with the worst economic recession for 50 years?

From 1991 to 1997 the average inflation per house was £3,000 per annum (Tory government). From 1997 to 2007 the average inflation per house was £11,000 per annum (Labour government).

It is much easier to control expenditure than earnings. All the previous Labour economies went belly up because they printed more money than output.

From: J Wilkinson, Steeton.

UNDER the current financial situation, we should suspend all overseas aid apart from any catastrophes, until we are debt free as a nation (The Yorkshire Post, April 27). The money saved could be put into the NHS and other worthy causes, thus alleviating some of the new Government’s problems.

I do not know how much we give to overseas aid, but do know that a lot of the money will find its way into the pockets of corrupt officials, therefore not actually benefitting those in need. I was brought up to believe that charity begins at home, and we do seem to have plenty of needy people in our own country. No doubt the do-gooders will think that my view is very un-Christian, but perhaps if they could put themselves in the same position as jobless, homeless families seemingly with no future, they might begin to understand this country’s problems.

I am only a normal 70-year-old pensioner with no political leanings, but do care passionately about the UK and the future. We are only a tiny island.

From: Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon.

OF course the dreadful Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls will say that a deal by his party with the SNP would be foolish (The Yorkshire Post, April 28).

He is obviously greatly concerned that he will lose his own Morley and Outwood seat, and will say anything to try and get back into power.

That prospect sends shudders down the spine, and let us hope that no-one believes anything he has to say, and that he is therefore consigned to political oblivion. That would surely send a collective sigh of relief around the country.

From: Harry Moore, Ilkley.

YOU report that Ed Balls believes that a deal with the SNP would be “unprincipled”. When we were being driven into an eye-watering and long term debt during the last Labour government, I didn’t notice principles such as good governance bothering him then.

From: Terry Duncan, Greame Road, Bridlington.

THE quicker we get the SNP in to Parliament, the sooner Boris Johnson’s ban on bag piping on the streets of London can be overturned.

From: Hilary Andrews, Leeds.

WATCHING Nicola Sturgeon being interviewed by Evan Davis on the BBC I was struck by several things.

1) She is really only a more attractive face of wily Alex Salmond in refusing to let Evan finish asking her any question.

2) She is very similar to that other lady who was “not for turning”.

The Conservatives are right to warn us about the rise in power of the SNP and their influence should the electorate be foolish enough to vote Labour in.

From: Jeffrey Shaw, Sheffield.

THOSE who absurdly claim that the EU has “prevented war” since the end of World War Two seem not to understand these points.

Evidence of true democracies going to war with one another is historically notable by its absence. The EU (formerly the Common Market) did not even exist until March 1957; and even now the EU has no defence role- have these people not heard of Nato?

So there’s really no “war” reason to stay in the EU. Ukip is the only UK political party to understand the real situation.